The use of x-rays for communication is of interest since gamma communication would offer advantages to more traditional communication techniques in at least some circumstances. In this regard, x-rays could support communication over long distances and be capable of transmitting large amounts of data with relatively small amounts of power in comparison to that required by conventional communication techniques attempting to provide similar performance. In order to provide for gamma communication, gamma beams that are very directional and that have been modulated, such as by being time modulated, will likely be required. These directional, modulated gamma beams would then be received by a detector that most likely have an ultra-fast response time in order to detect and demodulate the gamma signals.
Conventional gamma detectors utilize large area scintillators having light sensing photomultipliers or solid state detectors. The scintillators generally measure all signals that are received with only limited abilities to distinguish between the actual signals and noise, such as that generated by natural radiation. Some scintillators consider the magnitude of the received signals in an effort to distinguish the actual signals from noise, but the response time of these scintillators is generally somewhat limited which, in turn, would disadvantageously limit the data bandwidth if the scintillators were employed in an gamma communication application.
In addition to the response time, the ability of a detector to reject or discriminate noise relative to the actual signal will likely be of import in conjunction with gamma communication applications. In this regard, it is anticipated that an gamma communication link could suffer from radiation noise from natural space particle and photon emissions as well as from cosmic rays. The difficulties created by such radiation noise may also be compounded in situations in which the gamma source for the gamma communications does not provide a sufficiently intense gamma beam as to ensure a good signal to noise ratio at the detector in a background of natural space radiation. The difficulties created for gamma communications by the noise could be particularly apparent, for example, in conjunction with gamma communication by spacecraft in background regions having relatively high natural space radiation as well as by spacecraft during atmospheric re-entry at that period of time when conventional communications are blocked out by the plasma layer.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a technique for improved gamma communications. In particular, it would be desirable to provide an improved technique for gamma communications which facilitates the rejection or discrimination of noise relative to the actual gamma communication signals.